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UC Berkeley student leaders respond to bake sale

Campus Republicans' group could lose funding over event

Student leaders from various organizations have publicly denounced the Berkeley College Republicans’ plans to hold an “Increase Diversity Bake Sale,” where the race of the consumer would determine the price of a baked good.

The bake sale is intended to protest the Affirmative Action-like bill, SB 185 — currently awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature — in a satirical manner, according to Shawn Lewis, the organization’s president.

The event’s announcement stirred such enormous student outcry that an emergency meeting of the ASUC Senate — UC Berkeley’s student government body — was called for Sunday to discuss the controversy.

“I fully support the idea of members of BCR expressing their views on SB 185, and I believe that there should be dialogue and discussion surrounding this issue, but I do not think that this method is constructive,” said ASUC President Vishalli Loomba in an email. “Members of BCR have expressed that the differential pricing structure was intended to be satirical, but I do not see how this is comparable to what SB 185 stands for.”

Loomba added that while she believes the campus Republicans’ organization has a right to express its views, the organization went too far in its actions.

As an organization that receives funding from the ASUC, the Berkeley College Republicans is subject to having its sponsorship revoked. According to Loomba, the senate will be discussing this possibility at the emergency meeting on Sunday.

According to the ASUC constitution, the Senate “shall not fund any activity or group which discriminates against any student by race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical disability, or political activity, or belief in its method or recruitment and acceptance for membership.”

Loomba said in the email that punitive measures are “definitely a possibility.”

Lewis said that the event is specifically meant to protest the ASUC-sponsored phone bank in which students are encouraged to call in support of SB 185 to the governor.

He said the ASUC’s event makes it sound like “Berkeley students have one voice.”

“They never asked the other side,” he said.

Lewis added that the campus Republicans’ organization is an extremely diverse group whose board of directors — which made the decision to hold the bake sale — consists of members of all racial backgrounds.

“People just keep screaming that it’s a bunch of white kids,” he said.

Lewis said that while he thinks admissions should be largely merit-based, he does think that socioeconomic factors should be considered in college admissions considerations — just not race alone.

Although he said the bake sale is meant to be a satire, many community leaders said they did not see the joke.

“When I was an undergraduate at Cal in the early 2000s the Berkeley College Republicans did this exact same stunt, and it was just as offensive then too,” said UC Student Regent Alfredo Mireles Jr. in a joint press release with Student Regent-designate Jonathan Stein. “It is disappointing that these politically engaged Berkeley students decided to deal with this issue in an immature and offensive way that will make some Berkeley students not feel welcomed on their own campus.”

UC Berkeley student Marco Amaral, among the organizers of an “emergency town hall” event on Friday evening, said that while he was dismayed by the announcement of the bake sale, he was impressed with student response.

“The initial reaction of the community was a beautiful thing,” he said. “The multicultural community on campus stands in unity against racism, sexism, and any type of prejudice.”

A Daily Californian reporter and two photographers were ousted from that town hall after a majority of the approximately 80 attendees voted in favor of removing all media from in the room.

Controversy first arose following the creation of a Facebook event page for the bake sale Thursday night, which set the price of baked goods for whites higher than those for other minority groups — including blacks, Latinos and Asians — and women. Almost immediately, student backlash exploded, with Facebook commenters calling the event “racist,” “pathetic” and “offensive.”

The emergency town hall was just one of many student reactions to the bake sale. A counter protest, the “Conscious Cupcakes Giveaway,” is planned for the same day as the bake sale.

84 comments and no one mentioned that worst issue in this is that BCR were playing the “everyone is out to get us the white man’ card.

Their motive is obvious because of the inaccuracy in pricing. If BCR really wanted to make it about SB185/Affirmative Action AS IT RELATES TO UC ADMISSIONS then the pricing structure would’ve been: Asian- $3.50, White – $1.50…etc., with a 25-cent discount for all MEN (not women).

[If they wanted to get their message across, then yes, they have to be clear.]

The BCR got their message across quite clearly, as can be seen by the hysterical response.

Anonymous

I find it interesting that the ASUC which is meant to represent the entire student population of UCB and is partially funded by every student is allowed to use those funds to have a phone bank in support of SB185, which obviously not every student is in agreement with, yet is threatening to cut Cal Republicans funding for having a different opinion and choosing to express it. If the ASUC wants to promote its own personal political agenda regardless of the opinions of the students that actually fund them, maybe they should lose their funding as well. While I don’t think the bake sale was the most mature thing on the planet, they had every right to do it.

Anytime someone gets preferential treatment due to race it is racism regardless if the results are positive or negative or the preferential treatment is against or for a certain race. In that sense SB185 is promoting racism. Race and gender should have no role in determining college admissions, only grades, scores, and merit and in certain cases economic circumstances (since lower income areas have less access to AP classes, etc) have a place in admissions. If you aren’t qualified, you shouldn’t be admitted, period.

Betty

To the UCB Republicans, grow up and learn to articulate your message. To Mr. Lewis: now you will alway be known as guy who dreamed up the “racist bake sale.” When ever a future employer Googles your name the story will appear, when every you meet someone and they Google your name the story will appear. This “stupid” event will follow you for the rest of your life. (Payback is a b…)

[To the UCB Republicans, grow up and learn to articulate your message. To Mr. Lewis: now you will alway be known as guy who dreamed up the “racist bake sale.” When ever a future employer Googles your name the story will appear, when every you meet someone and they Google your name the story will appear. This “stupid” event will follow you for the rest of your life..]

Actually, I would be glad to hire Mr. Lewis if he had the skill sets needed in our organization. I have a lot of respect for people willing to stand on their principles, even when it means incurring the wrath of lesser minds such as yours…

Zhaupka

Ask these Berkeley Students IF they would buy a house for about $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 and live in East Oakland (far from the University of California – Berkeley campus) , say, around 83rd Avenue and East 14th with those they are fighting for rights? How’bout bring yo homey from da ‘hood to college day? Yeaaaah!

Zhaupka

Berkeley Students Are Worthless. Go down to 83rd Avenue and East 14th. Any of these twits gonna move there with their “we all is one” crap? Rhetorical. Any gonna move and live with the ‘hood? Rhetorical. Do as I say, Do Not Do as Berkeley Students Do – shaming others – refusing to move in the ‘hood. Berkeley Students Are Practicing Hypocrites. O! Let’s go hiking!

Funny thing is, I would be pretty much considered a “right-winger”, but when I attended Cal I cribbed in an apartment in the Oaktown “flats” off of Broadway and West Mac. Given my choice between dealing with the crybaby liberals and the homies in ‘da hood, I chose the latter for being far less annoying…

Zhaupka

Unless these “Diversity” folks are willing to put actions behind their signs and mouths, such as moving and living in the ‘hood, say, around 83rd Avenue and East 14th Street, they all need to sit down and shut up! Seriously. Houses cheap, only 40 – 100 K cash money. Buy 10 and set-up a “diversity” neighborhood. Peace. Love. Dove. Nonsense. Berkeley. Reduce UC-Berkeley Funding. Nut cases. O! Let’s Go Hiking, too!

tapir

To all the people claiming the bake sale is free speech: this bake sale goes beyond free speech. Selling items isn’t speech at all, it’s profit. It is against the law to discriminate against others, by denying someone goods or making them pay more based on their race. If they held some sort of picket protest, that would be considered free speech. Some people weren’t even informed of the Affirmative Action policy. A picket protest isn’t nearly as sneaky and potentially as offensive as a discriminatory bake sale. There are much better ways to get your point across than by offending and provoking others.

The leftist on-campus speech police are just making hypocritical fools out of themselves again. No one is fooled by the dishonest argument that it wasn’t the content of the College Republicans’ message, but rather how they expressed it, that the campus liberals are upset about. The “it’s not WHAT they said, it’s HOW they said it” argument is a sham. The liberal fascists on campus disagree with the College Republicans’ position on the issue and they want them punished into silence. End of story. Even if you buy that argument, it’s still repugnant because it means the liberals want restrictions and prior restraints applied to the speech of the College Republicans that they would NEVER apply to any left-wing student group on campus. It’s shameful that at America’s most elite colleges, students are being programmed with the vile concept that “Free Speech” means speech that does not offend liberal sensibilities.

Meanwhile, college admission standards that prefer students for admission based SOLELY on skin color…well, the Berkeley campus liberals are just fine with that. Pathetic.

Bob

What is discriminatory about receiving cheaper cupcakes? Sounds like a benefit to me….kind of like welfare (Similarities?)

blah

This bake sale is obviously satirical and I’m pretty sure most people with a brain can recognize this. How is this bake sale “racist” while the SB 185 is not? I’m not a republican but all this stupid and trivial bickering is maddening!

Why are you not asking for the Republican students, particularly the President of this group, to be expelled?

Also, you can go into Alameda Superior Court and requested a court order to have this group and the President of the student club, to be ordered off campus under Code of Civil Procedure 527.6 which prevents civil harassment. The students on campus should be able to go to school at the University without being to the harassment directed at minority students (arguably a hate crime in California).

[Also, you can go into Alameda Superior Court and requested a court order to have this group and the President of the student club, to be ordered off campus under Code of Civil Procedure 527.6 which prevents civil harassment.]

Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which people have an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with themselves.

Symptoms – A person with narcissistic personality disorder may:

React to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation

Take advantage of other people to achieve his or her own goals

Have excessive feelings of self-importance

Exaggerate achievements and talents

Be preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love

Have unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment

Need constant attention and admirationDisregard the feelings of others, and have little ability to feel empathy

Have obsessive self-interest

Pursue mainly selfish goals

Binxley

so when is having a disability mean Cal won’t let me finish up on a degree unless i taste cupcakes?

ME – ’09

This is pure brilliance by BCR. Oh how I wish I were still at Berkeley and had been a part of this decision. Keep on fighting the battle BCR, job well done.

jb333

Remember the 70’s Berkeley? FREE SPEECH!!!! While the availability of AP classes and socio economic status should be considered in determining entrance to universities, RACE SHOULD NOT!!! Whites and Asians also grow up in poverty and go to schools that don’t perform. The color of one’s skin should not determine entrance eligibility.

Peoplesparkberkeley

The courts have favorably explained that many factors can be used to determine whether a person can be admitted to a University other than race such as socio-economic status, etc. The students being admitted are qualified under all criteria. The legislature and the Governor want to write down and codify the criteria it promotes in order to make clear their intent.

What these pathetic excuses for “leaders” don’t grasp is that being a leader in a free society means living with criticism. Presidents from Obama back to Lincoln – Republicans and Democrats alike – have had to deal with critics, political cartoons, and comedians criticizing, ridiculing, and satirizing them on a daily basis. Ditto for governors, congressmen, local mayors, et. al. Where in the hell did these sniveling candy-asses think they have some right to use coercion to silence freedom of speech? These losers need to be recalled and publicly shamed for their complete lack of understanding of the most basic principles of a free society…

Milton Wannabe

I am disgusted by the blatant racism exhibited by the Student Council. How can they be so blind as to the racism of the proposed bill and yet blame the Republicans for drawing attention to this issue?

If they deny freedom of speech to the Republicans, who are doing this in a peaceful and satirical way, I would recommend that the Student Council be criminally investigated for violations against the 1st amendment.

Blondebarbie

I think the Republicans need to push for more white and
asian representation on the football and basketball teams!

Alex

BCR’s President, Lewis, should have no issues with 185. As he was quoted saying he doesn’t want race alone to be a factor. If he read 185 he would know that it encompasses gender, socio-economic factors and national origin, as well as allowing for other factors like sexuality, etc.. If only he & the other Republicans had read the bill before letting his racist knee jerk reactions determine his behavior.

BCR is a bunch of white upper middle class and rich kids. Whiteness isnt about skin color, its about power, privilege and entitlement.

Likewise, liberalism and political correctness isn’t about logic or reason, it’s about making emotive comments that make certain people feel smug and morally superior while doing nothing to address any real issues. Thanks for reminding me of that…

Guest

“BCR is a bunch of white upper middle class and rich kids. Whiteness isnt about skin color, its about power, privilege and entitlement.”

So, not only can a black kid be white if he has “power, privilege, and entitlement”, but BCR doesn’t have any lower-income or minority students. Have you ever attended a BCR meeting?

Most likely Alex has not, nor would I expect his type to have the type of open mind or intellectual curiosity to be interested in attending and learning firsthand. Liberalism in America is no longer about being “open-minded” or “tolerant”. It’s really about moral convenience and lack of effort: feeling good about one’s self by embracing the Politically Correct notion of the day, regardless of whether that position is based on any semblance of truth, logic, or common sense.

Inigo Montoya

Because the Berkeley College Republican’s are the very model of rational, evidence-based discourse.

And you have offered anything better? They didn’t like the policy, so they used a method of satire to get attention and get their message across. Whether everyone else likes it or not, they have everyone’s attention now.

What’s funny, however, is that the same oh-s0-progressive types who keep preaching about how we should have a “dialogue” on “race” are now outraged that the subject was brought up in the first place. In this sense the College Republicans have really exposed the duplicity of the left, who never REALLY wanted a “dialogue”, just a monologue – one where THEY preach to everyone else, and nobody is permitted to reply…

[ If he read 185 he would know that it encompasses gender, socio-economic
factors and national origin, as well as allowing for other factors like sexuality, etc..]

What’s wrong with just basing admissions on academic merit, and basing scholarships/financial aid on some reasonable combination of academic merit and genuine financial need? Oh, sorry, I guess a common-sense approach wouldn’t let the self-designated social engineers game the system to force their silly Utopian views on everyone else.

Guest

This article was not just “updated”; it was completely rewritten.
1)The original title of the article changed:
“Media ousted from Emergency Town Hall Meeting”
2) The accompanying photo of Berkeley City Council Member Kriss Worthington at said meeting at Rochdale Coop was removed.http://i51.tinypic.com/2vdsp04.jpg
3) Any mention of Rochdale Coop was removed.
4) It now makes it appear that the meeting was of “student leaders from various organizations” rather than Rochdale Coop members.
Note: The comments indicate the original content of the Article.

Guest

I also heard it wasn’t just media that was ousted, but also other Berkeley students who wanted to participate. Really nice that they let Kriss Worthington in but not students who pay their fees to the ASUC. Seeing a strange alliance here….

binxley

i caught bedbugs something fierce at Rochedale back in ’05 a ways back yonder. now do i get a cupcake yet? Do you have milk too by any chance? my deranged mind and ways of thinking out of thin air thought about about a class party with both.

Soufixe

Since when is a popular vote justification for denying freedom of the press?

Metsfan57

It always has to be a left-right issue doesn’t? You people are what’s wrong with this country. Libs, rethugs, commies, socialists, blah, blah, blah.

I’m a democrat and I agree with what the Berkeley Republicans message about the bill. They did an excellent job getting their message out too. On the other hand, they put on a real bake sale with real discriminatory price options for different ethnicities. I don’t think what they did makes them racist, but rather insensitive. There trying to prove the the California Bill is racist by setting up an actual mock racist bake sale. I understand that that proves their point but at the expensive of setting up an actual racist bake sale. Come on now.. They couldn’t have set up a town hall meeting or a seminar?

Nonetheless, I think they’re right. Why should admissions officers have to take nationality or gender into account when admitting people the the UC/CSU system. That does not seem fair to me. There so many students who work hard to get into a great school like Berkeley. Why should anyone who is not better than them academically get priority over them? No one is equal in academics and they should not be mixed up with ethnic or gender equality when being admitted to college. The state should focus on how to decrease the cost of obtaining a higher education, hire more professors, and stop raising tuition for students like me.

Message to everyone: Stop playing the blame game. We need a generation of leaders who aren’t going to bicker all the time. We need a generation of leaders and efficiency. Democrats and republicans can exist together. stop turning to fallacies to justify something doesn’t agree with your view.

Nikolai

Thank you, Metsfan57. I whole-heartedly agree.

I generally find myself on the more conservative side of most issues, but I heartily disapprove of the exceedingly polarized attitudes prevalent in modern politics. It seems like everybody’s simply out to “win” against their “enemies” at all costs, while what’s best for our nation and our society simply gets thrown to the wolves for the sake of competition.

[“When I was an undergraduate at Cal in the early 2000s the Berkeley
College Republicans did this exact same stunt, and it was just as
offensive then too,” said UC Student Regent Alfredo Mireles Jr. in a
joint press release with Student Regent-designate Jonathan Stein. “It is
disappointing that these politically engaged Berkeley students decided
to deal with this issue in an immature and offensive way that will make
some Berkeley students not feel welcomed on their own campus.”

Some of consider rioting, threatening others, and fighting with the police to be far more “immature and offensive” that a college group parodying a policy it doesn’t agree with. If these soft-skinned children who supposedly aspire to be “leaders” are so easily hurt and offended by parody and satire, what the hell’s going to happen to them in the real world?

Google “Narcissistic Personality Disorder” to get a better idea WTF is wrong with these so-called “student regents”. What a freaking embarrassment…

Wow

Sooooo what you’re saying is….being offended is being narcissistic? Hmm…makes me wonder the life/moral lessons your children will be learning.

No, but demanding that people exercising their free speech rights should be silenced merely because you are offended is a sign of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Maybe you should concern yourself with what YOUR children are learning from your own cognitive dissonance before worrying about mine…

Peoplesparkberkeley

Actually your behavior Tony is one of a sociopath. See prior post above.

Nerfherder2000

I notice you responded with an insult instead of repudiating the remark by Tony. I wonder why …

So funny how the same self-described “tolerant” and “progressive” lefties want to cut off funding for a college group that dared express a politically incorrect opinion, and satirized their “diversity” sacred cow. How do you liberals feel being on the same side as fascists when it comes to freedom of speech?

Let me explain something to you. Student Government funds student groups. Student Government sets up prerequisites for groups that request funding. One of those prerequisites is that the group does not discriminate. The College Republicans discriminated. Ergo, they should lose their funding. It’s as simple as that.

It’s not “satire.” It’s not “politically incorrect.” It’s blatant discrimination. For an action or a piece of literature to be satire, it has to take the thing it seeks to mock and exaggerate and blow it up to such a degree that it’s clearly absurd. This? It’s the same old dog and pony dance–they couldn’t even come up with something original.

Andre Louis

“shall not fund any activity or group which discriminates against any student by race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical disability, or political activity, or belief in its method or recruitment and acceptance for membership.”
Can you read? I know liberals have a hard time interpreting simple English when it doesn’t support their conception of how things should be, but try a bit harder–see that bit about “in its method of recruitment and acceptance for membership.” A bake sale used as a form of advocacy has nothing to do with either recruitment or membership. I’ll be fascinated to read how you spin this one to make it work for you.

Actually-youre wrong. You changed one little word, which changed the meaning to suit your purposes.
Their version:
“or belief in its method or recruitment and acceptance for membership.”
Yours:
“in its method of recruitment and acceptance for membership.”

You exchanged “or” for “of.”

Whoops.

I spent two years in Student Government at my institution. Had this happened at my alma mater, they would have lost their funding. But the CRs had integrity and respect, and were thoughtful and intelligent in their actions. These fools could learn a thing or two from my peers. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

You’re obfuscating the issue, typical tactic among lefties who can’t admit they are wrong. Your condemnation of the College Republican has NOTHING to do with any attempt to stamp out discrimination, which they are clearly parodying (whether you personally approve of their methods or not). Like most self-defined “progressives”, you want to have the exclusive privilege of defining the meaning of words such as “racism” or “discrimination”, not based on any objective definition of those terms, but as labels to be applied to those who dare to disagree with your own views…

If they were parodying anything, it wouldn’t look anything like the thing they were mocking. They simply duplicated the action. It has to be clear to everyone that it is mocking racism. And it is not. Regardless of what side of the issue you fall on, you have to concede that point. In literature, in performance, if you have to explain your intent and the results, you have failed. Period. A writer, an actor, is not going to be sitting next to every spectator to explain what is going on. You have to rely on the strength of your creation to make your point. They didn’t. The end.

Again, you’re accusing me of doing exactly what you’re doing. Refusing to admit the merit of my argument, obfuscating the point. This is absolutely ridiculous. You’re a troll, nothing more.

The more I run into the likes of you, the more I’m grateful for my conservative friends, acquaintances, peers, and teachers that are rational, intelligent, and respectful beings.

[If they were parodying anything, it wouldn’t look anything like the
thing they were mocking. They simply duplicated the action. It has to be
clear to everyone that it is mocking racism. And it is not.]

They are under no obligation to be “clear” to people who are too ignorant and mentally addled to get it. If that were the standard for satire and humor, the only thing permitted would be pee-pee and poo-poo jokes. Really now, you making this nonsense up as yo go along or what?

If they wanted to get their message across, then yes, they have to be clear.

No, that is what satire is. If you can’t be bothered to educate yourself, then I pity you.

And if their stunt was supposed to be funny, then their senses of humor are rather stunted–at the level of poop jokes, I’d say.

Andre Louis

I’m sorry, BookishBeemer, but far from an intention distortion on my part, I was making a correction to an OBVIOUS TYPO in the ASUC constitution, given that written as is it makes no sense whatsoever. What exactly is a club’s “method?” Method of what? Oh yeah…that thing two words to the right–RECRUITMENT. This is desperate nonsense. The deliberate dishonesty of the political left in this country when it comes to interpreting documents of any kind has reached critical mass. Unbelievable.

Does it now? It’s rather rich that you accuse me (and consequently, everyone you associate with me, or rather, your idea of me) of doing what you so clearly did.

You’ve no idea of my political leanings. I have no investment in Californian politics. I am merely commenting on the College Republican’s actions, and the consequences that the Student Government should deal out, if they have any sense. That only comes from my experience in Student Government at my institution. Politics has nothing to do with it.

“Method” in this document seems to be a one-word reference to anything a student club may do–and seeing as there are many student organizations, all of which are for different purposes and do different things, the document needed a term that would encompass all the possibilities.

Please. Desist your ramblings. You’re not going to browbeat someone with schooling in both literature and politics as to the meaning of a passage in a document.

[Let me explain something to you. Student Government funds student groups. Student Government sets up prerequisites for groups that request funding. One of those prerequisites is that the group does not
discriminate.]

Yet the “affirmative action” and “diversity” they are so desperate to defend – to the point of silencing any dissent on their position – is INDEED discrimination. You’re merely attacking the messenger on this one…

To the point of silencing any dissent? There is no such thing occurring here. Actions have consequences. Nothing can shield anyone from that. I would hope that the CR’s considered the possible repercussions of their actions before choosing this course. They would have known about the terms they had to fill in exchange for receiving SGA funding. But I have an inkling that they didn’t think about their actions at all.

They were rash, lacked no creativity, and gave no thought to how their behavior would affect others. Really, if they wanted to pursue this avenue, they could have simply charged based on, say, the color of the buyer’s shirt. They would have made their point, and they wouldn’t have outraged anyone, and their funding wouldn’t be at risk.

Really, I hear this nonsense often from martyr-wannabes, but it never fails to shock. The group isn’t being dissolved. They’re not being forced to recant. They’re simply at risk of losing their funding from one source. They could get funding from plenty of other places.

I listen to Mike Savage every day on 650 am talk he went to berkeley- and I know there are still some kids there that have a backbone @> “libsrclowns” and > “Tony M” Libs are just a group of unhappy people….

I have been quite happy since I left Cal. Took my last final on my birthday, knew I passed the class, went out for a beer, slept for 18 hours afterwards then packed up my stuff in a moving fan, drove over to my lab partner’s place and helped her pack up her stuff as well. Left town, didn’t bother staying for graduation, got a copy of my sheepskin in the mail. Worked for me…

Pretty Hips McGee

And I suspect that you are much more, and better adjusted to deal with reality than these “student leaders”.

Anonymous

Abrogation of the rights of instate Californians by UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau.

University
of California Berkeley Chancellor Robert J Birgeneau
($500,000 salary), displaces qualified for public university education at Cal.
Californians with $50,600 FOREIGN students.

Ranked # 70 by Forbes, the University of California
Berkeley is not increasing enrollment. $50,600 FOREIGN students are accepted by
Birgeneau at the expense of qualified instate students.

This is an abrogation of First Amendment rights just as we saw when the Muslim Student Union participants who shouted down the Israeli Ambassador were rightfully convicted of violation of the right to speak. In this case, this is a clearcut violation of freedom of the press. It reflects that which is manifest in tyrannies such as the Arab world and is not an acceptable action in our democracy…

This_or_that

Why are the previous comments full of suspicion and derision?
Because the Rochdale co-op was so ignorant as to brand the event as a Town Hall, when what they wanted was a private meeting of co-op members.
They can have the latter, there’s nothing wrong with doing that.
They just need to call it what it is, and thereby avoid having the press show up to begin with, what an all around embarrassment.

Guest

Is that Berkeley City Council Member Kriss Worthington at the top of the photo to the right of the wall clock wearing a blue shirt and red/tan repp tie?

Since when does a group exercising freedom of speech require an “emergency meeting” in response, and where do the narcissistic ass-clowns doing such in the name of the Rochdale student co-op get this idea that they alone represent the “community”? Seriously, some of these people seem to be play-acting 1930’s European-style political posturing instead of acting like rational human beings in a free country…

This_or_that

The folks at Rochdale are attempting to exercise their right to free assembly – which necessarily applies to exclusion as well as inclusion of various persons and groups – they are just too dumb to know what “Town Hall” means.

But yeah, ass-clownery is in effect here, they got trolled hard by college repubs.
Running around w/their hair on fire is giving the college republicans exactly what they want.

Do cupcake jokes warrant an Emergency meeting? The BCR may have misjudged the sense of humor of their peers, and attempts by Republicans to have a sense of humor are doomed to failure….but isn’t this all blown out of proportion?